


Let Me Fix You Up

by takeyourtimes



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Mugging Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 06:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeyourtimes/pseuds/takeyourtimes
Summary: Baekhyun hates superheroes, no matter how nice they seem to be and this one is reportedly stupidly so.





	Let Me Fix You Up

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #149  
> Pairing: Baekhyun/Lay  
> Rating: PG-13  
> Warnings: Slight Violence, Blood, Swearing  
> Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I don't have much to say to open but I would like to express my gratitude to the lovely mods for creating this fest. I had fun writing this story for it and hope you guys will enjoy it as well!

The television was a comfort noise in the background, the volume just at the brink of being too loud. The sound muted the slight drizzle of rain painting the windows in sound and water. It was the local news discussing daily events and occurrences that Baekhyun only paid half a mind to.

He was starting his day by making coffee, something he as a law student couldn’t live without at this point in his school life. He was already dressed but his feet were still adorned with his slippers that made him drag and shuffle his feet across the hardwood floor. Sleep still tugged at the back of his mind and it showed in his eyes drooping more than usual. He leaned on the counter, mug in hand, to finally pay attention to the animated box.

“-today. The man reported to the police station after he was attempted to be murdered. He states The Healer had found him right when he was losing conscious and saved his life. Police are now searching for the man the victim described to them.” A photo of someone Baekhyun had never seen in his life appeared next to the news anchor. “If you have any knowledge of this man’s whereabouts, please contact the number below.”

The screen panned out to include the second announcer, a man, and the image at the side disappeared. “Thank goodness for The Healer. I’m sure the victim is extremely grateful towards him.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is.” The woman, the original announcer Baekhyun saw, chimes. “I would be too. Superheroes sure are n-”

Baekhyun watched the screen blacken as he placed the remote back on the counter. “The Healer,” he scoffs. “What a generic, cheesy name.” He took a swig of the black caffeine and felt it go all the way down to his stomach, it was still hot. “Nice? He’ll probably ask for some compensation, if he hasn’t already. They always do, those freaks.”

Baekhyun knows. His parents had dealt with superheroes a lot as high end lawyers. Cases of superheroes extorting the people they have saved have come up once in a blue moon. They have told him of stories and rumors about other instances where superheroes have used their titles and abilities to bring themselves up in ranks and society. His parents were never afraid to tell him about how unnatural superheroes were or about the wrongs they commit behind the scenes.

He doesn't need to follow along with the rest of the world in their adoration for heroes because in his eyes superheroes might as well be supervillains.

 

Studying in the library till the sun had vanished wasn't Baekhyun’s plan but he had been too engrossed in doing it to notice the natural light being replaced with the bright artificial ones the library had. Dread had filled him when he had realized. He didn't like being out during the dark considering this was a city littered with superheroes, meaning it was full of crime as well.

He shuddered lightly as he walked out of the building, the air crisp and cold from the rain that fell throughout the day. The sidewalk glistened black and orange from rain residue and streetlight reflections. It sloshed or splashed with every step he took on it. His pace was faster than normal, wanting to get out of the open as soon as possible.

Most people don't mind being out in this city because they know there are superheroes but Baekhyun didn't want to risk running into one either for good or bad reasons. Well, to him any reason would be bad.

He almost made it, just one turn of a corner and he would've been home free. However, he was pulled from his place, feet disappearing from under him and the air in his lungs escaping him in a surprised gasp. A pair of arms dragged him back into the alleyway he was just passing. Once they were hidden by the darkness a hand came up to his neck, cold. They were holding a knife.

The slithering feeling brought Baekhyun out of his initial shock and his instincts, or self defense skills, kicked in. He stepped on his attackers foot as hard as he could to cause their hold to loosen in surprise. Then he smashed the back of his head into the other. He felt a sharp and fast slice on his right cheek as his attacker had let go, flailing their arms to hold their most likely bleeding nose.

He spun to face his attacker only to see their back as they ran farther into the alley. Thudding footsteps, mixed with the occasional splashing of puddles, faded as Baekhyun watched the figure disappear from sight. In seconds all that was in front of him was a dark and damp alleyway.

“Fuck.” He sighed. Baekhyun dabbed at his cheek with the back of his hand, feeling blood seeping from it already. It was definitely more of a gash than a scratch. His hand was slick and covered in blood when he pulled it down to examine.

“Are you okay?”

Baekhyun shook more than jumped when heard the random voice. He whipped around to face the person questioning him.

Of course Baekhyun had to deal with it all today. After trying to avoid this time and time again, everything happened at once.

It was a superhero. His suit was white with the exception of the healthy green that came from his gloves, boots, mask, and a small emblem over his heart, one too small to tell exactly what it was from Baekhyun's distance.

“Aren't you cold dressed like that out here? Weirdo.” Was the retort Baekhyun replied with.

It surprised the other, eyes glistening wider in the dark and behind his mask. “C-cold? No, this suit is pretty thick. Um, are you okay?”

“Do I look like I’m in danger and in need of help?” His tone was almost mocking. “I’m alone out here and in no way vulnerable.”

“I didn't say that.” The hero said firmly. “It's just that you're bleeding…”

“And? Do I need saving because of it? The actual crime has been done already.”

“That's not it! I can heal it for you. Your wound, I mean.”

Baekhyun stared at him like he was crazy before it clicked in his head. “Ah. You're that healing guy with the really uncreative name.”

The other made an offended noise. “It's The Healer.”

“Yeah, that's the one.”

“Your face looks like it's cut pretty deep…” He started reaching for Baekhyun. “I can fix you up.”

A slap sounded and bounced off the buildings they were between. The hero stared at his now stinging hand before he looked up at Baekhyun who was now backing away. His face was obviously one of shock even though it was hidden behind the mask’s fabric. The eyes gave it away.

“No thanks, I don't want to be indebted to a superhero.” Baekhyun quickly passed the other and exited the alley. “Normal people can take care of wounds themselves, you know, no powers needed.”

Baekhyun didn't wait for a response and just walked on, leaving the hero and alley to finally head home. He arrived quickly, practically running after he slipped past the hero, and climbed up the stairs to his complex, nearly slipping on the top step. His keys jingled as he pulled them out and searched for the one to his door.

He sighed exaggeratedly when it opened. His bag was thrown at his feet the moment the door was back in its place between the frame and his feet hurriedly made way to the bathroom to check the damage done. The bright white lights of the restroom momentarily startled his eyes but he ignored it and headed for the mirror.

It wasn't as bad as he had imagined. Though it was bad enough to where it almost looked like wounds you'd see only on screen. It was deep, most likely in need of stitching. Blood streaked his whole cheek from constant wiping to keep it from dripping a trail on the sidewalks.

Baekhyun grabbed an unused cloth from his rack and ran it under the sinks warm water. He mumbled under his breath over it being white, dreading the cleanup. The cloth was swiped harshly against the smeared bits but once it made to the wound the touch was much gentler. Even with the light dabbing against the gash, Baekhyun still cursed under his breath with every touch. He wasn't one to be very tolerant with pain.

The compartment under the sink was opened to pull out his completely untouched first aid kit. He was always careful so he didn't really need it but it was nice to have it there. He also didn't know a thing about first aid or how to correctly clean up his wound.

Unsure, he grabbed for the alcohol pads to sanitize the open area of his cheek. A hissing noise was released from his mouth the moment the rough and damp piece of cloth made contact. The wound started to bleed a little bit more as he continued on disinfecting. Giving that up, he opened a box of small thin bandages, thinking of using them as a temporary replacement for stitches.

Baekhyun removed the wrapping before sticking one side slightly on his finger. With his other hand he pulled the separated skin of his gash closer together and quickly applied the small bandage across it. Keeping the ends pressed together with one hand was a struggle as he tried to open another bandaid. Baekhyun repeated the process till the bandaids reached the other side of the cut.

His work didn't feel that well done, the bandages stressing as if they'll release both side of the skin at any time, so he decided to stick a giant one over all them. He knows it's extremely sloppy work but it's not like he actually _knew_ how to treat something like this. It wasn't life threatening so to him the only important thing was to keep it from being infected and bleeding all over his apartment.

He was in the middle of trying to wring blood out of the towel when his phone sounded in his back pocket. After wiping his hands on his jeans, he pulled it out to see that Minseok was calling. Minseok was a friend, one of very few Baekhyun had despite how social he could be.

“Hello?”

“Baekhyun! You're coming tomorrow, right?” Minseok’s voice was crisp and a bit breathy. He was most likely out for a nightly run.

Baekhyun turned off the sink and gave up on the towel. “Tomorrow…?”

“You forgot.” Minseok chuckled lightly. “I knew it would happen, the ever busy Byun Baekhyun.”

“Sorry. So what did I forget about?” He ignored the busy comment, it's not like he couldn't go out when all he did was study.

“My game! 6pm, at school. Remember? I gave you a ticket and everything like a week ago.” The sound of car, tires on wet tar, sounded past Minseok on the other side of the phone. Baekhyun wondered if he was cold running in this weather.

“Ah. You're right I forgot…” He left the bathroom, moving the phone to his other ear so the hand closest to the light switch can darken the room. “I'll be there though, now that you've reminded me.”

“You don't have plans?”

“It's not like I’m _actually_ busy all the time, Minseok.” A sigh as he finally sat on his mattress. “6, right? I'll be there.”

“Hmm, okay.” Minseok sounded unsure. “You haven't lost the ticket or anything?”

Baekhyun huffed. “It's in my wallet! I remember putting it there as soon as you gave it to me.” However, he made a mental note to check after he hung up. It's not like he touched it but he just wanted to double check. “I may forget plans but I don't lose things, okay? I'm very organized.”

A disbelieving laugh sounded in his ear and he could picture the other rolling his eyes. “Well, see you tomorrow. I want to finish this run and get some rest.”

“You should be resting now.”

“Goodnight, Baekhyun.” Minseok’s tone was mocking, most likely rolling his eyes again.

“Yeah, goodnight, see you tomorrow.”

 

Baekhyun was cold. How Minseok was playing without any winter wear at all was beyond him. Those sat around him in the field’s bleachers and benches paid no mind either, chanting and cheering away. He couldn't ignore it with how the wind was blowing and chilling him to his core. It wasn't raining today, but the sky was grey and the air was crisp.

He came alone, as usual, and was surrounded by enthusiastic college students and soccer supporters. Minseok was the only reason he came, he has no real interest in sports. So, he just watched his friend flit back and forth across the field.

Just as Baekhyun was wondering how Minseok was so light on his feet with the grass being as wet as it is, his friend slipped. It was a fast fall, with Minseok’s arms swinging in circles as he tried to regain balance. The only result of trying was that his body twisted to fall face forward rather than back on his butt. Baekhyun winced as he watched Minseok’s ankle stay glued to the ground while the rest of his body turned.

A chorus of surprised and sympathetic moans murmured through the crowd. Minseok stayed still for a moment before pushing himself up slowly when teammates and sports medicine students rushed at him. Baekhyun could see and almost hear his friend’s forced laughter as he tried to brush off worried hands, only letting the medical students examine his ankle touch him. Whispers of who it was that was injured and other random gossip rippled around Baekhyun till Minseok was hoisted up, changing the sounds into sympathetic applauses and cheers.

Baekhyun sighed as he saw them support his friend off the field and even off the premises. He guessed it signaled that his time here was done so he pushed himself off the seat and shuffled his way out of the seats aisle. Mumbled apologies from both him and those he passed turned a few heads from the row ahead. Free, he made his way towards the locker room where Minseok most likely waited.

He was there, getting his ankle wrapped with embarrassed expression that made Baekhyun huff a laugh. At the noise, the student treating him barely glanced back but Minseok looked up and turned impish with Baekhyun's presence.

“Sorry I asked you to come, only for me to last half an hour.” Wincing when the wraps were pulled particularly hard, he bent his head down to tell the student so. “They're telling me I should go home instead of staying to watch. I rolled it pretty badly.”

Baekhyun nodded, not really bothered by it. “That just means I actually get to spend time with you, instead of watching, doesn't it?”

The student patted her work and rose, signaling that Minseok was all good. “Don't exert yourself too much, rest!” She must've known him.

Minseok only grinned as she walked away. Turning to Baekhyun, he lifted his arms like he was a child wanting to be carried. “You heard her! Help me home please.”

There was a playfulness in his gummy smile but Baekhyun knew he _did_ need the help. He hooked his arm around Minseok's waist and brought his friend’s arm over his head, supporting his weight as he stood. Luckily, they were about the same height so there was no real struggle there.

“Ah, my bag!” Minseok shouted when they were standing in the locker doorway, he pulled his arm around Baekhyun's neck like a rein, to which Baekhyun retaliated by pinching his side.

“Okay, okay, we’ll go back.” Minseok directed him where to go to find his locker where his bag would be sitting in front of, being too big for the small storage space given. He also remembered he didn't have a coat on and proceeded to pull one from the locker itself. It took them a minute or two to figure out who would be the one to carry it but decided in the end that Minseok would and Baekhyun would support both his and the bag’s weight.

“Y’know that we could take a cab or something?” Minseok inquired as they began their journey away from the school.

“You live, like, a block away.”

“Yeah but I’m injured, I’m wearing a coat, and I’m carrying a heavy ass bag.” His tone was light and testing, not seeming to mind walking but not wanting to burden Baekhyun.

“What, you don't want to spend more time with me?” Baekhyun pouted at the other which resulted in another rein-like pull. “Oh, how the tables have turned.”

Minseok laughed at the breathless sound of his voice that he had caused. The mood turned light and comfortable. They began their usual talk that involved catching up on their lives, complaints about their studies, and even Baekhyun asking about how Minseok knew the girl from earlier. In which Minseok said that he took a sports medicine class with her once. Then Minseok looked like he couldn't hold back something any longer, eyes shifting to Baekhyun now and then, and let it out.

“I should've asked the moment I saw you but what happened to your face?” The hand holding his bag in place came around and touched Baekhyun's excessive bandages.

Baekhyun's mouth fell open in surprise, he forgot about it. “I, uh, was almost mugged last night.”

“What?” A shocked shout. “Were you okay? You were walking home again, weren't you? I told you people always go after the rich neighborhoods but you never listen.”

“I was fine, Minseok. I'm a black belt, in case you may have forgotten.” Baekhyun sighed, pulling the frantic man closer to his side after his outburst had caused him to wiggle away. “Also, if you haven't noticed this entire city is full of crime.”

Baekhyun could feel Minseok's worried eyes on him as they waited for the crosswalk signal to change. It was dark already, the sun was setting when the game was just starting, and the chill of the night kept Baekhyun cool as he ignored the heat of embarrassment that Minseok brought.

“Okay,” Baekhyun began as they crossed as quickly as they could with three legs, “I’m sorry, I'll be more careful from now on.”

The only response Minseok gave was a thoughtful hum as they rounded the corner to the road his apartment was. Once again, Baekhyun almost made it.

“Do you guys need help?”

Baekhyun jumped, nearly dropping Minseok who was leaning heavily on him, and maneuvered them to both be facing the alley they just passed. The sight made his grip on his friend’s waist tighten.

Minseok audibly gasped. “You're The Healer, right?”

It was, unfortunately. The superhero nodded at his friend's question but was eyeing Baekhyun curiously. “Caught in trouble again?”

“No,” huffed Baekhyun, “and I won't need your help this time either.”

“You won't, but I might.” Minseok pinched Baekhyun's arm and gestured to his ankle, lifting it higher for the hero to see. “Um, you can heal, right? Do you think a sprain would be a problem to handle?”

Baekhyun hissed out his friend's name to try to stop him, only to be shushed. Minseok knew of his dislike of superheroes but it's not like he had to follow Baekhyun's policies or feelings when it related to himself.

The hero perked up immediately upon hearing he was needed. “It would be no problem at all!”

Minseok let a nervous puff of air as the hero knelt down to grab his ankle and Baekhyun began panicking internally. “You see,” he began to distract himself from the fact a hero was going to use powers on him, “I’m a soccer player and I'd rather not miss things like practices and games for such a small injury.”

The two watched as the hero just… touched Minseok's ankle. They held their breath, waiting for _something._ Their nerves were high and when a car went blaring by it nearly made the two jump.

“Okay,” the hero stood abruptly, swiping his hands together in a job well done. “Good as new, try it out.”

Minseok hesitated before wiggling out of Baekhyun's tight hold, though he let him keep his hand on the back of his shirt in case of a fall. There wasn't any. He walked perfectly normal, back and forth between the other two.

“Wow,” Minseok whispered, now lightly jumping up and down, “you really can do it.”

“Well, healing is kind of my forte.” The suited man rubbed his clothed neck almost bashfully.

“Thank you!” A true and genuine gummy smile.

Baekhyun sighed, giving in with his friend's happiness. “Thanks.”

The hero stared, a little unnerving when you count see his expressions. “Y-you're welcome.”

He sounded awed and Baekhyun blushed in embarrassment. It made him think that he was too transparent in his distaste for the other.

“Yeah.” Baekhyun didn't know what to say so he pulled at his friend's bag. “Lets go.”

Minseok nodded in agreement so Baekhyun walked away immediately, towards his friend's home, while the other stayed back for his final thank you and goodbye.

“He was nice.” Minseok was suddenly by his side as he reached the complex.

“Yeah, nice.”

 

Echoes of sighs and shuffling sounded throughout the room as the professor declared the class over. Baekhyun was one of the sighing students, his main course exhausting him. He loved law, sure, but it was _a lot._ Along with the fact that the information was a lot to take in, Baekhyun just couldn't concentrate in his class and reviewed every lesson back at home.

The main reason was his seatmate Jongdae, the guy with a playful smile that doodled simple faces on Baekhyun’s notes every day. That wasn't the reason he was distracting though, he just always talked to Baekhyun, not that he minded. They had a lot in common and Baekhyun got carried away whenever he talked with Jongdae, bickering or joking around way too much during class. Today was one of the more severe days and now that it was over Baekhyun realized he had to look back at the lesson later, again.

“I shouldn't sit by you anymore.” Baekhyun mumbled exasperatedly, pulling his bag over his shoulder.

Jongdae cackled lightly and bumped his neighbor. “Moving seats in the middle of the year? Good luck.”

“You're the reason for my sleepless nights.”

His friend brought his arm over Baekhyun's shoulder, patting him. “Oh, is that so?”

Jongdae's tone made Baekhyun blush but he only elbowed the other in retaliation for the subtle innuendo.

Suddenly, a hand and paper were in front of the two. They looked up in surprise at the source of the random attack, a student like them with many more fliers clutched to his chest.

"Against superheroes? Come visit our club to vent about it, you don't even have to join. We meet every Wednesday."

Jongdae tentatively took the paper and skimmed it as other students snuck around them to avoid being the recruiter's next target. " _We run a blog that collects information against heroes and why they shouldn't have so much power and fame in hopes that this era of heroism will end_." Jongdae read, lifting an eyebrow. "So, what, it's like a rebellion club or something? A club for activism against heroes?"

The student sighed at Jongdae's almost accusing tone and took the flier back. "I can tell you aren't interested," he began walking towards the door to chase after the other students, "but if you ever have something to spill, remember us!"

Baekhyun watched him leave as Jongdae snorted, tightening his hold on the other as they began walking out the door as well.

"There may be some shitty heroes but that doesn't mean there aren't genuine ones. We should be trying to get rid of the bad, instead of all of them." Jongdae began rambling and Baekhyun tuned him out as he thought about a certain hero and how his eyes shone happily after helping someone.

"Genuine, huh?"

Baekhyun could feel his friend's eyes on him, stopping his rambling to stare. "There are genuine heroes, Baekhyun."

"I didn't say otherwise."

Jongdae was about to retort before his phone went off, stopping him. He glanced at the screen and let go of Baekhyun, ready to part with him. "Business calls," he claimed, walking away. Then over his shoulder, "I better not catch you near that club!"

Baekhyun sighed as he watched his friend's back disappear. "It's not like i have time for that stuff anyway," he told no one but himself.

However, hours later Baekhyun did find himself on the club’s website during his break from studying. Scrolling through the main page he saw articles written by students claiming ‘a hero did this and that’ were the main attractions. He clicked on the forums, curious about the real time conversations.

The Healer: A Useless Hero

A popular forum that popped out at Baekhyun immediately. He hesitated but clicked because he wanted to know what others thought of the hero.

 **ohhsh:** can he even fight?

 **dks93:** I’ve never heard of him getting physical.

Baekhyun chuckled thinking about the fact that he could probably take the hero on and even win.

 **ohhsh:** so he only heals, uh, okay

 **bjhbunny:** He doesn't really do anything that our doctors can't do…

 **tzyxh** : There's some things doctors can't heal.

Sighing Baekhyun clicked the tab closed as the last commenter began getting attacked for being a hero supporter. The place seemed to be one for those with one sided opinions and as much as he disliked heros, Baekhyun loved and knew law and he knew both sides needed to be heard and seen.

He bit his lip and pushed his laptop away completely after those thoughts, because no he is not supporting heroes in way and it almost felt as if he was. Almost as if he felt _bad_ they weren't being heard by those people with blinders on.

The lights flickered randomly above his head and he snapped out of the whirling thoughts in his head. It was time to sleep this away.

 

“Moving on to more surprising news, there is now a sudden distaste and defiance towards superheroes.” The anchor woman's voice brought in Baekhyun's attention from the kitchen, easily. He dragged himself to the living room as she carried on. “An article was released yesterday afternoon that aimed to expose and point out the flaws and wrongdoings of our heroes. Much of it's content came from a university's website that also had the same aim.”

Baekhyun swallowed, guessing this rooted from his school, his mind flashing back to the classmate handing out fliers.

“More reliable sources came from interviews with law enforcement and lawyers who were involved in hero conflicts. Since the release, many have called the police’s hero enforcement branch to voice their distaste towards heroes and even demand to disband the program all together. We’ll give more details to this story and the actions of our local government further later on in the broadcast.”

The television flashed off as Baekhyun bit his lip, thinking about his parents and how easily they would have agreed to share upsetting stories about heroes. He quickly typed in “superheroes” in his search engine and wasn't really surprised to see the article be one of the first headings to choose from. Skimming, he saw he was right about the stories rooting from his university's website. What was even worse, Baekhyun recognized his own last name as his eyes roamed the words. His parents really did share stories.

He swallowed roughly and closed his browser, stomach churning uncomfortably. Breakfast seemed to be out of the question today.

When Baekhyun arrived to school all he could hear was loud chatter about heroes, all not so good. Most of the insults thrown contained the word freak, laughing spitefully at them or in disbelief of ever idolizing them. On a normal day, Baekhyun would agree but hearing so many people say what he had thought since childhood really struck something in him and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad. He was conflicted.

He thought it was good that people are finally seeing heroes more as human beings rather than extraordinary and are giving them backlash as such. On the other side of Baekhyun's mind, he can't stop think about how fast everyone turned their backs on heroes and how bigoted they sounded talking about them and calling them freaks.

That thought led to Baekhyun pausing in one of the outdoor halls in shock. That's how he sounded until recently and he doesn't know what changed it. Well, he did know but didn't want to admit it.

Students began maneuvering around him, shoving and slipping by. Some grumbled about him or tisked at him as the passed but he paid no mind. It wasn't until arms wound around his waist that he was shaken into movement once again, escaping the sudden grab.

A smirking Jongdae was before him when he turned to face the handsy culprit. He was now blocking the way with Baekhyun, laughing at his friend's shaken expression.

"What's up with you today?" Jongdae's voice was colored with playfulness as he walked towards Baekhyun, winding his arms around the other's to pull him along with the crowd. "I watched you stand there for like two minutes."

"I didn't sleep much." Baekhyun smoothly replied.

“That makes two of us.” Jongdae sighed, the wrinkles of his face relaxing into a more serious expression.

Baekhyun had to look away, not used to some type of mischief missing from his friend. Of course, Jongdae had a normal resting face but his eyes always glimmered and glinted, personality always shining through.

“You're lucky I saw you, without me you could've been late for good ol’ constitutional law.”

“Wow, wouldn't want to be late for a class I can never pay attention to.”

His friend chuckled, lips curling once again, and pulled Baekhyun through the open class door. The room was full of loitering students, waiting for the professor. There was a particularly large group near their seats and they both kept their eyes on it as they passed. One student was surrounded and bombarded with questions and comments, too many for the two to make out with all the voices overlapping. It wasn’t until they brought themselves to sit when they ceased, quieted by the student in the eye of the storm.

“Guys! Okay, I’ll let you all know.” The circle eased up as they calmed down, no longer pressing for information. “My dad was the writer of the infamous article.”

Baekhyun could see him now, it was the student that had approached them about the anti-heroes club last week. He was rooted to his seat in shock, unlike Jongdae who suddenly sprung up noisily. Baekhyun could feel the waves of anger rolling off of him. If he has never seen Jongdae serious, then he definitely has never seen him angry. Even more than before, Baekhyun was stuck where he sat, almost gaping at his friend. He wasn't the only one either, the whole crowd had turned to look, startled by the sudden movement and thud of Jongdae's bag on his desk.

"You couldn't just fish out the bad guys?" Jongdae's voice was shaking, as if he was holding himself back from yelling. "Let the actual heroes be?"

The recipient of Jongdae's words shook himself out of his momentarily stunned state to answer. "Does it matter who's good or who's not? They're all useless freaks to us anyway."

The surrounding crowd murmured in agreement and Baekhyun saw Jongdae's nostrils flare up at the sound. He locked his jaw and dragged his bag off his desk onto his shoulder. He threw a quick 'I'm out of here' to Baekhyun before storming out the room, passing a confused professor at the door.

The professor stared accusingly at the class but they all stared back wide-eyed as if they were just as surprised as him. He brushed it off and settled the class with a sigh and the students began moving to their seats, whispering among themselves and Baekhyun could catch words like 'weird' and 'crazy' when the passing situation was discussed.

"Okay, enough. Let's start." The professor quickly shut the loudest of conversations and the focus of attention was brought to him.

Baekhyun couldn't pay attention to class even without Jongdae there.

 

No one could escape the conversations about heroes, whether they were part of it or heard it as they walk down the street. Baekhyun was part of the latter, not really talking to anyone he didn't have to. Though he had bumped into Minseok, who was rushing to practice, and he told Baekhyun to go home safely.

He left the library early today, avoiding the whispers of gossip that could be easily heard. The uncertainty and hatred was heavy in the air no matter where he went and it was extremely draining to for him to be around, especially when he was already stressing over his school work. Baekhyun just wanted to be in the comfort of his own home, away from this city's hectic situation.

He found himself almost speeding walking, nearly jogging, down his road. The oncoming ruckus of footsteps, yelling, and knocked over trash cans didn't register in Baekhyun's mind as he rushed forward. It wasn't until a body completely knocked him to the ground, tumbling over him, did the sound of the world come seeping back to him.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." The voice was rushed next to his ear, the sound moving away from him as the hurriedly brought themselves up.

Baekhyun himself had his arm thrown over his eyes, saying he was fine even though he was groaning internally about what had happened. He could feel his bag under the small of his back and shifted to wiggle it away. The person who knocked Baekhyun over made a noise of recognition that finally made him look up.

"Ah, it's you."

"It's me." The Healer tugged at the back of his neck, staring down at Baekhyun who was now sitting crisscrossed. He looked embarrassed to be in this situation, shifting from one foot to the other before letting out a huff and bending down to help Baekhyun.

Once he was back on his feet, Baekhyun could hear shouting once again, the hero could too and it caused his demeanor to bristle.

“Where did he go?” The question sounded from nearby, making the hero even more antsy.

“Are you okay?” Concerned words were out of Baekhyun's mouth before he could help it. It shocked him slightly and judging by his eyes, the hero too.

“Y-yeah.” His nervous shifting told Baekhyun that he was most likely lying. “I'm just, uh, being chased.”

"Chased?" There was lift to Baekhyun's voice, his nerves suddenly electric.

"Don't worry," The suited man tried soothing him immediately, "It's just some kids."

The voices growing closer did sound adolescent to Baekhyun, full of energy and purpose. "Then why are you running?"

"Because they're chasing me." The hero shrugged and began walking, Baekhyun following. "They're kind of trying to catch me? Or mess with me? I'm not really sure but it had something to do with 'not trusting you heroes,' that's what they were saying."

"And you're running from kids…” Baekhyun's voice was slightly confused, not knowing why a hero would need to hide and escape from normal people.

The hero cleared his throat. "My powers aren't exactly for combat and even if they were I'm not going to fight harmless citizens."

Baekhyun swore he heard someone shout 'over here' and grabbed for the heroes elbow, steering him towards to the entrance of his complex. "Harmless," he scoffed, "they're chasing you with intent. You don't know how to defend yourself?"

A sound of denial. "My purpose is to heal not hurt."

It wasn't until Baekhyun was pulling him up the stairs that he began wondering what he was even doing bringing this person into his home. He acted with his body, only thinking about the pursuers even though they weren't after him. The hero was also being dragged along willingly and that was more perplexing. The only hesitation the other displayed was the pause before stepping over Baekhyun's threshold.

"Cozy place." The hero commented as the lights switched on which earned a scoff from Baekhyun.

"It's minimalist at best." It was true, Baekhyun only kept necessities in his home, his living room consisting of four pieces of furniture.

"That was just something I wanted to say while walking into someone's house." The Healer let out a huff of a laugh, following Baekhyun to the couch. "Um, thanks for saving me? That's what this is, right?"

Wide eyed, Baekhyun nodded. "See, I told you I don't need a hero's help."

The hero laughed lightly. "Yeah, this weak hero needed yours instead."

A hum from Baekhyun lead the conversation to a stop. He watched as the hero looked around, not that there was much to give Baekhyun's life story away.

"It's not much." Baekhyun once again emphasized the simplicity of his apartment. "Do you want something to drink? Ah, maybe not, you can't take your mask off."

The hero shrugged. "As much as I'd like water right now, you're right. Sorry, I'm okay right now."

Baekhyun's throat was now dry, unable to really speak. He didn't know how to communicate with a hero if it wasn't being a bitter and sarcastic asshole.

"Y'know," The hero cleared his throat and paused, peaking Baekhyun's interest, "this is probably a really bad thing to say but I, uh, have actually seen you around in my normal life."

The college student stared gaping at the hero, mouth and eyes as wide as could be. He began sputtering, not knowing what words he should start with. "Y-you, aren't you practically compromising your identity," The words that made it fully through as he pushed himself off the couch.

The Healer's only showing feature, his eyes, were gleaming in the warm light of Baekhyun's living room as he looked up to the other. "It's not so much information, honestly, it couldn't give me away."

"You're way too open." Baekhyun claimed, thinking about the hero's eyes and how he doesn't bother hiding the emotions in them.

"I think it's fine..." The hero settled back some more as Baekhyun stayed put. He slumped slightly and hung his head back on the furniture. "I know this guy who knows you."

Baekhyun made a noise of protest but the hero continued on without hesitation.

"He told me your name and that you're a law major." Baekhyun watched the hero swipe his hands on his thighs, eyes caught by the sudden motion. "He said even though you're a heavy coffee drinker, you prefer sweeter things."

"Um."

"Also, you're pretty loud and funny but prefer to be alone which is why you only have a few friends." The hero's words brought Baekhyun back to sit and listen. "I would see you from time to time with that guy and think you were cute." The Healer ignored the other’s persistent stare by throwing an arm over his eyes. "Then when I ran into that first time, you were so different than I imagined. It was interesting so I asked about you."

"Are you attracted to guys who treat you like shit?" Baekhyun shot at the hero, genuinely wondering what on Earth made Baekhyun interesting that day.

The suited man sat upright once more and turned to Baekhyun. "You were hard headed and stuck to your morals. It was a bit of a shock, yeah, but it was kind of cool seeing you be so... badass, in way."

Baekhyun blinked at him. “You're weird.”

“I guess so.” He sagged once more against the couch, giving up on the subject, only to stand up abruptly and startle Baekhyun. “I think they're gone now, so, yeah, I'm going to go.”

Nodding his response, Baekhyun stood and walked the hero to the door because it felt like the right thing to do “Be safe, I guess.”

When the door was moving to be shut the hero spun to face Baekhyun once again. “You're still cute, y’know.”

Baekhyun watched him scamper down the stairs, insides flaming. He shut the door and was left in an almost blinding living room.

 

It wasn't until a week later that the city's law enforcement had announced the disbandment of their hero sector. The citizens became content with that, having the hero's no longer gain from 'saving' them. It was worrying how much they never second guessed the situation or how life was going to be after this era of heroes.

When Baekhyun got to his law class he saw that Jongdae didn't come, leaving a noticeable empty seat. The rest of the class was present and buzzing to the student whose father was the mastermind behind it all. Kim Junmyeon, Baekhyun had overheard the others calling him. He was an all around great student who's only flaw seemed to be his hatred for hero's. Baekhyun had winced upon that thought, knowing he was exactly the same.

It was something Baekhyun couldn't help feeling, he grew up with that mindset. Kim Junmyeon might have as well, but for a completely different reason than Baekhyun.

Class had dragged on unbearably long and Baekhyun nearly ran out as soon as they were dismissed. No one paid him any mind, not really caring for him in the first place. The bustle of classrooms and hallways had been suffocating to him lately. He'd been avoiding staying in the library simply to stay away from people more.

"Did you hear that the police are going to round up heroes who haven't turned in their suits?" A conversation floated by Baekhyun as he scampered off home. It had stopped him, nearly slipping from halting so quickly, and look back at the two gossiping girls. He watched as they walked away, animatedly waving their hands around as the continued without noticing him.

He brought himself to more once more but his mind remain on their subject. Heroes were told to turn in their suits, because they were in fact given to them by the government, but he didn't think that there was some who would refuse to do so.

Reaching his apartment has brought him washing in relief for days now, a feeling of being able to breathe again. The second the door was shut he leaned against it and huffed a sigh out. However, his safe haven was no longer that the moment a hesitant knock sounded behind him, making him startle so audibly that the end might of heard.

One look through the peephole had made Baekhyun curse. It wasn't light enough to completely make him out but a whole body of white in green couldn't be missed.

"What do you want?" Baekhyun didn't even know if his voice could be heard through the door well. The hero perking at the sound of it confirmed that he could.

"Hi, um, can I come in?" He asked at the looking glass, head tilting slightly as if trying to see through it.

"Why?" Baekhyun wondered if his voice was smothered with how close he was to the wood of his door. "Also, you didn't turn your suit in?"

The Healer looked down at himself like he had forgotten he was in it. "Oh, that's part of the reason I came here."

"You came here to show me your suit?" Baekhyun was back to his sarcastic self and it made the other chuckle.

"Kind of?" He tugged at the ends of his green gloves. "Since this is the last time I'll be wearing it, I wanted to see you while in it for one last time."

Baekhyun had threw the door open with those words, seeing the hero jumping in surprise at the sudden movement. He could feel warmth build up in him and had to fight it down before speaking. "What? You're defying the government just to see _me_?"

"Is that wrong?" His voice carried no regret or hesitance. "It's not like I want to stop being a hero," he shook his head as he pushed past a pliant Baekhyun. "They'll have to rip this suit from my body after they catch me."

"You're crazy." Baekhyun was the one who followed the hero into his living room this time.

"I'm not the only one with that mindset," He plopped himself down on Baekhyun's couch, "that's why the cops are going on a hunt for us tonight, there's too many of us who haven't bent yet."

"Why?" Baekhyun remained standing, feeling like he was interrogating the other.

"So many of us joined this force and became heroes because we actually want to help." The hero shrugged as if it was obvious. "We have powers for a reason, what are we supposed to do now that we aren't allowed to use them for a good purpose."

“You can't live normally?” Baekhyun questioned. “You live as regular citizens when you aren't saving others, so why can't you stay that way?”

“We have powers, we can't suppress and them forever, it's part of who we are.” He stood as he talked. “If we use them or slip up as citizens, do you know how bad they'll react? Those people who call us freaks even though all we do is help them? Being a hero is an outlet for our powers, something most of us need.”  

"Not every person with powers is a hero."

"Yeah, those 'heroes' who made this mess happen proves that." His voice sounded a little hostile and it was startling to Baekhyun, who had never heard him be anything but kind and cautious.

"That wasn't what I was talking about."

The hero's shoulders sagged slightly. "I know, I'm just upset." He turned towards Baekhyun, stature sturdy once again. "Not that you'd understand, with you being someone who didn't like us, I doubt you'd even know what we're feeling."

"Huh?" The verbal attack came from nowhere and it struck Baekhyun numb. The hero was doing nothing but surprising him today. "Why are you saying that...?"

He suddenly started pacing and Baekhyun watched him for a few minutes before he halted and strutted towards him. "How can you people just turn your backs on us so easily?" His eyes flamed as he stared down at the smaller man. "Is your hatred that deep?"

"W-why are you asking me this?" Baekhyun pushed the other back slightly, hands sliding on his chest. "I didn't do anything."

"Byun." The moment the name was out of the hero's mouth, Baekhyun's ears began to ring distractedly. "That's not a very common name, is it?"

Looking at the floor, Baekhyun had answered. "I guess not."

"Your parents?"

The smaller man stuck his chin up to the hero. "Why are you asking me this as if that article hasn't been out for a while now? You were completely normal the last time we met."

"I hadn't read it." The suited man finally backed away, giving Baekhyun more room to compose himself.

"And?" Baekhyun questioned, insides boiling over. "You came here to take your frustration out on me? I had nothing to do with this."

"You hate us." He said it as if it was as simple as connect the dots.

"You don't know anything about me." To try and keep himself from blowing, Baekhyun began to control his breathing. Though, he knew it wasn't working with the way his chest was heaving.

"Tell me, then?" The hero crossed his arms, set on answers. "What about us ticks you off so much? Why would you go as far as to ruin us?"

"Don't lump me with them."

"You're all the same, right?" He was persistent and unrelenting, eyes continuously burning.

Baekhyun's jaw locked, thinking he sounded just like those citizens who he was referring to. "Leave. You obviously don't want real answers, just someone to point a finger at."

As calmly as he could, Baekhyun released a breath and turned to lead the hero out of his home. The other didn't seem too fond of the idea and Baekhyun had felt the feeling of latex covered fingers surrounding his wrist, pulling him back. Baekhyun whipped around quickly, his eyes wide and wild as the air crackled and sparked around them. The air around them felt electric and rose higher and higher and till it was gone, the end sounded with shattering glass followed by a deafening darkness.

The sound of Baekhyun's rapidly shallowing breath soon became the only audible thing between them. It was scared, panicked. “Y-you…!”

“Baekhyu-”

“Don't!” His voice was strained, tight with anxiety and the shortness of his breath. “Just leave. Don’t say anything.”

The hero could barely make out Baekhyun's shadowed outline now. He was on his knees, half hanging because the hero still had a grip on him.

“Okay, shit.” he whispered. The hero sat before the other, letting him go and opted for hovering both his hands near Baekhyun's shoulders. “Shit, Baekhyun, oh my god, what did you just do."

"Fuck, why you of all people." Baekhyun wheezed out as he shifted, bringing himself to a sitting position. He suddenly hissed, startling the other till he saw Baekhyun bringing his hand up to inspect. Both of their eyes were now well adjusted to the dim lighting, revealing a liquid seeping from Baekhyun's palm. It dropped onto the hardwood floor in nearly inaudible pattering sounds, the disarray of lightbulb pieces also receiving drops seemed to be the cause of the problem.

The Healer sighed. “Let me see it.”

“How many times do I have say that I'll be fine without your help?”

“Even if you would be, I still want to help.” He quickly grabbed Baekhyun's hand before he could fight him off and easily healed him.

It was warm. Baekhyun's palm tingled and a soothing feeling ran up his arm as the wound closed. It was nice, so nice and comforting that tears began to spontaneously roll down his cheeks. The feeling of overwhelming happiness and comfort came from a simple healing touch and it was too much for him in that moment. "Why are you suddenly being nice again?"

He shrugged. “There, you're fixed.”

“No, I'm not.” A tear fell loose from its place on his eyelashes and he rubbed at his cheeks to get rid of the residue. "This is a mess."

The indents and lines in his captured palm were traced lightly. “It's fine.”

"Don't lie, this is a shit show." The comment made the hero snort, lifting the atmosphere.

They lapsed into a silence that was light in mood but heavy with the words they wanted to speak. The hero didn’t seem to mind and let them collect their minds and began playing with Baekhyun's fingers. They both thought it was a bit weird, latex and skin.

“Um.” Baekhyun swallowed as he broke the silence, wiggling his fingers to capture the other’s attention once again. “So, obviously, I hate superheroes.”

The hero nodded slowly, eyes calculated what Baekhyun was leading up to.

“The thing with that was, well, my parents had that mindset that you are so upset about but I'm not the same.” Baekhyun retracted his hand to wring it together with his other. “You see…You literally saw me. Earlier, the lights, that was me.” He was chewing on his lip, not wanting to outright say it.

“Yeah…” The hero was urging him on with his eyes.

“I have powers.” He let it out with his breath, making it hard to hear but the other did. “I can manipulate light, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

Baekhyun swallowed before continuing. “So to answer your earlier questions, my hatred towards heroes was… I just… repeated what my parents would say as reason because how else am I going to explain to others about my hatred? In reality it was a projection of the hate I had towards my own powers and myself. It was, like, my parents always talked about hating heroes and how powers are abnormal and it made them freaky. In my mind, as I grew up, I began thinking that if they knew about me they still would think the same thing about powers.”

“Baekhyun…” The hero sounded like he was going to deny it till Baekhyun shook his head.

“Don't try to tell me I’m wrong because you know they're part of the reason this eradication of hero forces is happening.” He fought the embarrassing flame in his cheeks after hearing the hero say his name fully for the first time to keep himself on topic.

“Okay.” The Healer hesitated before his answer as if he was settling himself into Baekhyun's statement.

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders weakly. "That's my explanation to you. So tell me, am I like the others? Do you think I would've helped this uproar happen, when I have powers myself? Powers I'm absolutely terrified of people finding out about."

The hero confirmed the other's fear as he watched Baekhyun's hands tremble despite the fact that he was trying to stop them by pressing them together. "I'm sorry."

Baekhyun's mouth fell into an 'o' when he heard the apology. He wasn't expecting the hero to be so understanding, with how he was moments ago. "It's okay, as long as you understand."

“Y'know you seem to really love your parents, not wanting them to hate you and even following in their career footsteps.”

“Rather than love, it's more of a feeling of attachment." Baekhyun brushed him off smoothly. "I mean, they're my parents, they've been with me all of my life, through everything that's ever happened to me. It's scary thinking they'd easily throw me away.”

“And your career?”

A lopsided smile. “Law is great, I love it. You can give people the justice they need and deserve without powers. I guess it's an outlet of sorts to me.”

“A hero with no need for powers.” The hero snorted. “Sounds like you.”

Baekhyun grinned, eyes crescenting. “I don't need powers to kick your ass.”

The other blinked before busting out in laughter, falling back and snowflaking afterwords. He let out little giggles that warmed Baekhyun up once again. A thought of learning how to control his powers quickly passed through his mind as it seemed like this person affected him too much to ignore them.

“When did you find out?”

Baekhyun blinked at the other, not knowing what was being referred to.

“I mean, when did you find out you had powers.” The hero clarified, sitting up again. “We’re mostly born with them but it's hard knowing till…. incidents happen.”

“I was… seven?” Baekhyun was looking upwards, thinking. “Um, it happened a lot like earlier, I blew up over something, it was stupid, and the lights went out. Well, it wasn't as bad as this.” He nervously ran his fingers lightly over the glass on the floor, careful not to snag himself. “At first I thought the lights went out normally but after I had checked, I found out it was only my room where it happened. They wouldn't turn on no matter how much I flicked the switches, it wasn't until I touched the bulbs, begging them to turn on, that they did. It felt like, I don't know, tingles and warmth came from my hands and left them for the bulbs. That's such a weird thing to have convince you that you have powers.” Baekhyun laughed meekly. “It was just a feeling, like a siren going off in my head saying that's what it was.”

“A lot of heroes say that they feel those things when they use their powers. It's not a bad feeling but it's little eerie when you're trying to get used to it.”

“The warmth and tingling?”

“Yeah, I get it too.” The hero wiggles his fingers in front of their faces, green latex fluttering. “Personally, I think it has something to do with our energy or something but I'm not a scientist or hero specialist.”

“Then what are you?”

“Huh?”

Baekhyun chewed on his lip, contemplating on continuing. “I was just wondering what you do, in your everyday life.” He started to blush again, cheeks pink and pretty. “You talked about your real life before, so.”

“A dancer.” The hero’s eyes were wide, still the only real part of him that could be seen. “I dance.”

Baekhyun swallowed, thinking about how the hero’s body was so nice in his latex suit despite the fact he didn't get real workouts during his hero duties and now he knows why. A dancer and probably a real good one with his build.

“T-that's cool.” Baekhyun cringed internally, thinking he sounded too put off.

The hero didn't seem to notice because he continued on. "Well, I got to school, I'm a music major, but in my free time I dance." Baekhyun could see his eyes sparkling lightly in the dim lighting. "I teach classes to kids some days or I'll help out as a backup dancer for the local theatre. I dance for money, basically.” The hero paused as he caught himself. “Ah, not like that, though."

Baekhyun chuckled at the sudden embarrassment in his voice. "That's a shame." He couldn't believe the words that escaped him. Was he _flirting_ with this hero?

Bashfully, the man squirmed where he sat, eyes fluttering up to Baekhyun. "I guess."

Their attention was drawn away from each other and instead to the windows of Baekhyun's balcony door when a slow moving light skimmed past. For a terrifying moment, Baekhyun had thought it was him who had caused it until the sound of a helicopter passing and circling was heard.

"Looks like the search has reached this area, huh?" Baekhyun turned back to the hero once he heard his voice.

"Yeah..." He bit his lip. "You could stay and hide if you'd like."

The hero grabbed at his neck, an action Baekhyun could see now was a habit, and spoke softly. "I'd like to see you in real life soon. Face to face."

Baekhyun didn't like how his voice sounded resigned. "Don't tell me you-"

"Baekhyun." The Healer's eyes sparkled affectionately as he stood, looking down at him. "Thank you."

He left so fast that Baekhyun could only grasp air, being on the floor making it much more difficult to try and stop him and resulted in him falling face first to the floor. The hero didn't even bother shutting the door, leaving the sounds of sirens and thundering footsteps to drift in.

“What an asshole.” Baekhyun flipped himself over, listening to the pursuit fade away while staring at the ceiling. “In what world is that a nice hero?”

 

Two months later, the city without it’s heroes remained rampant with crimes, only now there was no official help for the more difficult cases. The citizens have all moved on from their uproar and lived their lives almost as if they forgot that it even happened at all. That's how people work, they move on too fast, not caring once time has passed.

The genuine heroes never stopped helping, jumping in from time to time discreetly to care for the citizens despite the fact that they were the reason they have to help in secret. You'll hear about them in whispers as you walk down the street. Earlier today, Baekhyun overheard an office worker saying, ‘I swear it was Thundershock that stopped that car chase,’ to his disbelieving coworker. It felt as if the trust the people once had for them could be built once more from their instances of intervening.

From time to time Baekhyun wondered if The Healer was sneaking around and healing wounded victims just like before. He would snort, thinking his stealthiness wouldn't be a change from his employed hero life, always sticking to alleys at night.

Baekhyun himself had spent the time trying to get his feelings and life back to normal. He had also slowly come to terms with his powers, no longer ignoring and suppressing them. At night there would be times were he would test his limits and find out what he was capable of. It was thrilling to him. His discoveries also helped him find ways to keep his powers from acting up with his emotions. He doesn’t know when he’d be able to tell someone about them, be it his friends or family. Even now, he still buried himself in schoolwork but he decided that when he had free time he made sure to spend it out more, whether it be with Minseok or Jongdae, who had returned to class two weeks after his disappearance. Baekhyun had stared at his friend like he didn’t even know who he was when he had returned, smirking playfully as if nothing ever happened to him.

At the moment, he was on his way to meet Jongdae, as he invited Baekhyun and Minseok to watch some performance at the theatre. The second he was asked to come, his heart had thundered in his chest and he flamed up in expectant excitement. It was like the feeling of looking forward to seeing your crush during middle school, the giddy and scared feeling of knowing you were going to be around them. Except, Baekhyun didn’t know if the person he was thinking of was even going to be there.

There was a promise of seeing each other during their last meeting but it felt as if the other had made no effort to make it happen. It left Baekhyun with an empty feeling in his chest, and he was always catching himself looking for someone who’s appearance he didn’t even know.

Even now, he was watching the crowd crossing the street towards the front of the theatre. He didn’t even see Jongdae crossing, figuring he was most likely already waiting at the doors. He was so occupied watching the people splash their way across the reflecting street that he didn’t even see the man rushing towards him, full speed as if he was late.

He was knocked over, his breath leaving him in one painful huff, and found himself underneath a body. He groaned when he felt the damp concrete against his head, thinking this keeps happening to him.

“Shit, sorry.” Frantic and panting in his ear, it brought a chill up his spine. “I’m so late and I was rushing, I’m so sorry.”

Baekhyun watched the man pull himself up, eyes wide and shaking. “It’s fine, I wasn’t paying attention either.”

He was _cute_. Hair black and framing his forehead, hanging between them. Lips plump as they opened in surprise. “Oh.” The man’s eyes softened and Baekhyun felt his insides shake uncontrollably. Those eyes, brown and telling.

“Hi.” Baekhyun croaked, going with his gut feeling about who this man was. He squawked in surprise when the other got up, pulling Baekhyun with him.

Once they were both upright, the man jumped away from Baekhyun. He stared at him, shocked was the emotion his eyes were conveying. “Hi…”

Baekhyun chuckled lightly, brushing himself off. “I’m Baekhyun.” He stuck his hand out to the other, hoping.

He hesitated before taking the leap. “I’m Yixing.” His hand was warm and the feeling of it spread throughout Baekhyun.

“Yixing!”  A shout from the alley of the theatre shook them from their place. It caused Yixing to widen his eyes once more, only this time in panic.

“Oh my god, I’m late.” He gathered himself and moved past Baekhyun, lightly letting his hand go and let their fingers brush and tingle. “I’ll see you after the show.”

It was another promise that made Baekhyun shake in anticipation as he watched Yixing run for the backdoor. Once he was out of sight, Baekhyun started walking to the entrance once again, leaning his head back to see his breath puff and disappear, to feel the warmth of his cheeks against the crisp air.

The sound of Jongdae calling to him brought him back down. His friend was waving him down frantically as if he was indistinguishable in the small crowd. Minseok was behind him, face drowning in his scarf, about to kick the other to quiet him.

Baekhyun laughed happily, picking up his pace. “Now, this is nice.”

**Author's Note:**

> First off, for the most part, this is unedited so I apologize for mistakes.  
> I really focused on Baekhyun for this more than anything else... sorry for the lack of romance, wow.  
> Also, I actually really like the way this ended?? A happy Baekhyun is a happy... well, everybody.  
> My biggest concern for this was my own writing and if it was able to convey what I had in mind for this... I'm still not really sure about it but I'm content with it in a way. 
> 
> Side note of me after every Jongdae scene: Baekchen... how did you end up here??
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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